Voice biometrics systems are becoming widely used. In such a system, a user trains the system by providing samples of their speech during an enrolment phase. In subsequent use, the system is able to discriminate between the enrolled user and non-registered speakers. Voice biometrics systems can in principle be used to control access to a wide range of services and systems.
One way for a malicious party to attempt to defeat a voice biometrics system is to obtain a recording of the enrolled user's speech, and to play back the recording in an attempt to impersonate the enrolled user and to gain access to services that are intended to be restricted to the enrolled user.
This is referred to as a replay attack, or as a spoofing attack.